This lawsuit (settled on August 23, 2006) was brought by a student who had been barred from her dormitory room at Hunter College because she was hospitalized after a suicide attempt. Federal district court Judge Sidney Stein approved the agreement on Monday.

The plaintiff, “Jane Doe,” had admitted herself to Cabrini Medical Center after taking a large number of Tylenol pills and then calling 911. When she returned to the dorm she found the locks to her room changed. She was allowed to remove her belongings only in the presence of a security guard. She filed suit against the City University of New York (CUNY), of which Hunter College is part, in August 2004, represented by the Bazelon Center, a national legal-advocacy organization, and Goldfarb Abrandt Salzman & Kutzin.

The Bazelon Center also represents Jordan Nott, a former student from George Washington University, in a case that is headed for trial, seeking both damages and reform of the university’s policy of expelling students who express suicidal thoughts.

The payment to Jane Doe was made monthly over four years, at her request. The settlement included fees for the attorneys.

The law firm of Goldfarb Abrandt Salzman & Kutzin LLP concentrates in elder law, guardianships, trusts & estate and the rights of the elderly and disabled.